Powerball jackpot nears record size: What are your odds of winning?
(NEXSTAR) — Another near-record Powerball jackpot is growing after no ticket matched the numbers picked Wednesday night.
Numbers drawn were 17, 24, 48, 62, 68, and Powerball 23, and the multiplier was 2X. Three tickets — one each in Florida, New York and Ohio — missed the jackpot after failing to match the red Powerball number. Still, each ticket was worth $1 million.
Now, the estimated jackpot has reached $590 million, Powerball officials said Thursday. Because jackpots can grow between drawings (here’s how they calculate the jackpots), it’s possible the grand prize will become the 10th largest — a $590.5 million prize won in Florida more than 10 years ago — ahead of the next drawing.
Here are the 10 largest Powerball jackpots in history:
- $2.04 billion: Nov. 7, 2022 (California)
- $1.586 billion: Jan. 13, 2016 (California, Florida, Tennessee)
- $768.4 million: March 27, 2019 (Wisconsin)
- $758.7 million: Aug. 23, 2017 (Massachusetts)
- $754.6 million: Feb. 6, 2023 (Washington)
- $731.1 million: Jan. 20, 2021 (Maryland)
- $699.8 million: Oct. 4, 2021 (California)
- $687.8 million: Oct. 27, 2018 (Iowa, New York)
- $632.6 million: Jan. 5, 2022 (California, Wisconsin)
- $590.5 million: May 18, 2013 (Florida)
The current jackpot has been growing since mid-April when a ticket sold in Ohio matched all six winning numbers for a jackpot worth $252.6 million. It crossed the half-billion mark last week.
This is the second-largest Powerball jackpot of 2023.
A Washington woman won a jackpot worth $754.6 million in February, pocketing the cash option of approximately $407.2 million. It stands as the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot in history and had been building since November 2022.
The next drawing will be held Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.
Ready to try your luck?
You’ll have a 1 in 292.2 million chance of landing the massive prize — you have a better chance of being struck by lightning, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows. Still, some say certain numbers may prove to be luckier than others. You could also buy 100 tickets, improving your odds to about 1 in 2.92 million.
Regardless of your odds (which are the same as everyone else’s), it’s important to play responsibly.
Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday night. Tickets are $2 per play.